"... I do hereby reaffirm the policy of the United States that
there shall be no discrimination in the employment of workers in defense
industries or government because of race, creed, color, or national
origin..."

Our Documents: Executive Order 8802 - Prohibition of Discrimination in
the Defense Industry
June 25, 1941

As the
nation prepared for war, African American leaders hoped that the rapidly
growing defense industry would provide new opportunities for blacks. In
September 1940, A. Philip Randolph, president of the Brotherhood of
Sleeping Car Porters, met with President Roosevelt and urged the President
to promote equal employment opportunities and to desegregate the armed
forces. Although Randolph left the meeting with assurances that President
Roosevelt was looking into the matter, no agreement was made. Having failed
to secure the support of the Roosevelt administration, Randolph hoped to
bring his cause to the American people. For months he planned a march on
Washington and gathered the support of tens of thousands of African
Americans. Worried about the impact of the march, Franklin Roosevelt met
with Randolph two weeks before the march was scheduled to begin and urged
him to call off the march. The only way he would stop the march, A. Philip
Randolph told FDR, was if President Roosevelt issued an Executive Order. On
June 25, 1941 President Roosevelt issued Executive Order 8802 prohibiting
discrimination in the defense industry and created the Fair Employment
Practices Committee (FEPC) to monitor hiring practices. Although the
military remained segregated, World War II brought about new jobs and
opportunities for African Americans.